Cooker



A. R. THOMPSON.

COOKER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22,19l6.

1 1 93,632 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS BY jug ATTORNEY A. R. THOMPSON.

COOKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-22.1916.

Patented Aug. 8,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- MAM M M w m z i /0 WIT-NESS g 7 mam:-

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ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON- .BARNGROVER MFG. CO., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF COOKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

. To all 'whom it may concern:

which the can-path is composed of an annular series of rails and a helically directed rail, one of said can-path components having axial rotation relatively to the other in order to effect the advance of the cans throughout said path. In cookersof this type, wherein, in practice, the annular series of rails is the rotating component, and lies concentrically within the helically directed rail which is the fixed component, the cans, throughout the upper arc of'revolution rest upon the rails of said series and are bodily moved along the helical path, but without having a rotation about their own axes. But during the lower arc of revolution their support is transferred from the annular series of rails to the fixed helical rail, and during this time, they are rolled on their own axes upon said fixed rail, by the revolution of the annular series'of rails. It will thus be seen that the cans are positively rolled ontheir own axes only during one half of their bodily revolution in the cooker. It is often the desire, however, of canners to have the cans roll continuously on their axes so that their contents may be continuously agitated and exposed uniformly and to the best advantage to the heat.

It is, accordingly, the object of my present invention to provide a cooker of the type described in which-means are provided to effect the continuous rolling of the cans on their own axes throughout the entire period of their bodily revolution in the heating box.

To this end my invention consists in the novel cooker which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the heating box, showing the interior parts partly in elevation and partly in section. Fig. 2- is a cross section of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of one of the floating bearings.

lie the heating box. This may be heated by any suitable medium, hot water, live steam, hot air or any combination of these.

' For illustration, I show steam coils 2.

3, in Fig. 2, is a drain from the box, controlled by a cock 4.

Vithin the box is a stationary frame comprising two end spiders 5 and a peripheral series of bars 5. To these bars 5 is fixed a helically directed rail 6, said rail being best made of T-section with its leg portion projecting inwardly. The rail 6 has such a pitch that its coils are separated by a distance sufficient to support the cans 7 lengthwise upon opposing arm portions of adjacent coils, thereby forming one component of a path in which the cans may be advanced in continuous helical course from their en trance'to their discharge, said cans being supported by the arm portions of the rail and directed in their progress by its leg portion. The other or complementary component of the cairpath, is formed of an annular series of rails 11, lying parallel with the axis of and concentrically within the helical rail 6. These rails 11 which may be termed reel-rails are also best formed as bars of angle section, preferably T-section with their leg portions extending outwardly and their arm-portions secured to the end spiders 10 of the reel, and, when said rails are relatively long they are also secured and stiffened at their middles' by a connecting ring 9. The end spiders 10 of the reel-structure 6 by a distance sufficient to admit the cans.

It will now be seen that the fixed helical rail 6 and the rotatable series of reel-rails 1 l1 complement each other to form a continuous helically directed can path, and that, a can introduced to this path at one end will be adx anced through it by the rota tion of the reel to the other end, and that by introducing successive cans, a plurality of lines of cans will be continually advancing through said path. It will also be seen that when the cans are passing through their lower arc of revolution, they then rest upon the arm portions of the helix rail 6, and as said rail is fixed, thtxpushing movement of 11) fixed on the shaft 8 and a central disk 14:,

the leg portions of the reel-rails 11 will cause the cans to roll on the helix, thereby giving them a rotation on their own axes.-

Now in order that the cans may have a rolling movement on their own axes, while passing through their upper arc of revolution also, thereby providing for a continuous rolling of said cans, I separate the adjacent reel-rails 11 by a space which will permit the cans to contact with an underlying concentrically disposed fixed or stationary floor member 12, uponwhic'h said 'cans will roll upon their axes. This floor member 12 is a plate carried by and forming the periphery of a fixed frame comprising end disks 13 the disks being united by braces 15. The floor-plate 12, though it might extend through the upper half of reel-revolution only, is best extended throughout the complete circle, to furnish a guide and stop against any tendency of the cans to float or rise in their lower arc of revolution and thus to prevent unnecessary friction or j am- 'ming. The middle disk 14 of thefioor-pl-ate frame is utilized also as a support for an anti-friction bearing efor the middle reelring'9; thereb avoiding the frictional consequence of a tendency of the reel to sag.

To effect this, said disk 14 has a socket periphery 16 in which roll freely the floating rollers, 17. There is a circumferential series of these rollers, each consisting'of two heads and a neck 17. The series of rollers is'freely caged in a ring 18 which keeps them from bunching. These rollers have a tion shown a gear 19 formed on the end spiders of the reel and a driving pinion 20,

. on a drive shaft 20, meshing with said ear. v

g 21, in Fig. '2, is an entrance or feed chute for the cans, and 22 is a delivery chute therefor. It will be understood that at the points of entrance and delivery the arm portions of the helically directed rail 6 will be cut, out sufficiently, as is shown in Fig. 1, at 23 to permit the cans to enter and to emerge therefrom.

In operation, a can entering at 21, will be 'received between adjacent reel-rails 11, and will contact with the floor plate 12. This contact will cause the can, during its upper arc of revolution, to roll upon its own axis on said floor-plate; and "during its lower half of revolution -it will roll on its own axis onthe helix rail 6, and thus the rolling of the can is continuous, which is the object sought.

fixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outside of said series; means for imparting axial rotation tosaid annular series of rails to effect the advance of thecans through said path; and a fioor-member concentric with and lying within the annular series of rails, said floor member coacting with said series to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said member.

2. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a can-path within said box composed of a rotatable annular series of rails and a fixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outsideof said series; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis'for the rotatable annular series of rails; and a floor-plate supported from said shaft and lying concentrically within the annular series of rails and co acting therewith to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said plate.

3. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a1can path within said box composed of a rotatable annular series of rails and afixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outside of said series; end

spiders carrying said annular series-of rails;

a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for said end spiders; afloor-plate lying concentrically within and coacting with the annular series of'rails to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said plate; connections supported-by said shaft and carry ing said floor-plate; and anti-friction bearings between the annular rail-series structure and the floor-plate structure.

4. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a can-path within said box composed of a rotatable annular series of rails and a fixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outside of said series; end spiders carrying said annular series of rails; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for said end spiders; a floor-plate lying concentrically within and coacting with the annular series of rails to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said plate; connections supported by said shaft and carrying said floor-plate; and'anti-friction bearings between the annular rail-series structure and the floor-plate structure comprising a series of caged floating rollers.

and a fixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outside of said series; end spiders carrying said annular series of rails and a connecting ring at the middle of said series; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for saidend spiders; a floor-plate lying concentrically within and coa cting with the annular series of rails to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said plate; disks supported by said shaft and carrying said floor-plate at its ends and middle; and anti-friction bearings between the middle ring of the annular series of rails and the middle disk of the floor-plate.

6. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a can-path within said box com-' posed of a rotatable annular series'of rails and a fixed helically directed rail concentric with and lying outside of said series; end spiders carrying said annular series of rails and a connecting ring at the middle of said series; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for said end spiders; a floor-plate lying concentrically within and coacting with the annular series of rails to effect the rolling of the cans on their own axes while in contact with said plate; disks supported by said shaft and carrying said floor-plate at its ends and middle; and anti-friction bearings between the middle ring of the annular series of rails and the middle disk of the floor-plate comprising a series of caged floating rollers.

7. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a can-path within said box comprising an outer fixed helically directed rail, an inner floor-plate concentric with said rail and a rotatable annular series of rails lying between the helically directed rail and vrail, and a rotatable annular series of rails lying between the helically directed rail and the floor plate, said annular series of rails having end spiders; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for the end spiders of the annular series of rails and the support for the floor-plate; and means carried by the shaft for supporting the annular series of rails intermediate its end spiders.

9. In a cooker, the combination of a heating box; a can-path within said box comprising an outer fixed helically directed rail, an inner floor-plate concentric with said rail, and a rotatable annular series of rails lying between the helically directed rail and the floor'plate, said annular series of rails having end spiders; a shaft mounted in the box and forming the support and axis for the end spiders of the annular series of rails; disks supported by said shaft and carrying the floor plate at its ends and middle; and a bearing between the middle disk of the floor plate and the annular series of rails intermediate its end spiders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

WM. F. BOOTH, D. B. RICHARDS. 

